Michigan

Western Michigan sophomore Jared Klein goes up for a layup in Thursday's game against Siena Heights. Klein has been a boost for the Broncos off the bench this season and could be a big key for the team in Mid-American Conference play.
(Chuck Miller | MLive.com)

KALAMAZOO, MI – Things are slowing down for Jared Klein as his shooting percentage continues to sizzle.

The sophomore backup point guard on the Western Michigan University men's basketball team said he feels more confident as more shots continue to fall. If his shooting percentage is any indication of where his confidence is at, it’s safe to say Klein likes where his game is at as the Broncos (7-5) enter Mid-American Conference play Wednesday at home against Toledo.

Klein, an Otsego native, leads the MAC in 3-point shooting percentage at 59.1 percent after making 13 of 22 shots from behind the arc. He could be a big key in the conference season for the Broncos, who were picked to finish second in the West Division behind Toledo, if he can continue to provide instant offense off the bench, like guard David Brown did last year.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder said he got up around 500 shots per day and seeing more and more start falling helped boost his confidence.

“It boosts your confidence and you play better when you’re confident,” Klein said. “It helps you do other things well and they build off each other.

“I think a lot of it is repetition. I’m in the gym shooting a lot. (Assistant) coach (James) Holland gets me in there a lot taking a lot of game reps. It’s not just shooting set shots. I’m running into shots and stepping into them. That helps a lot.”

Western Michigan sophomore Jared Klein brings the ball up the court in Friday's game against Siena Heights.Chuck Miller | MLive.com

Klein played in 32 games last season with eight starts. He averaged three points per game and had 32 assists to 39 turnovers. His play at times was somewhat inconsistent, as can be expected from a freshman.

He has played in all 12 games this season and is averaging six points per game as the team’s fifth-leading scorer. Klein has 10 assists to 12 turnovers and the game seems to be slowing down for him as he gains more experience and becomes better at making quick decisions.

WMU coach Steve Hawkins said he’s pleased to see Klein settling into his role and giving the team consistent production.

“He’s been shooting the ball extremely well,” Hawkins said. “He plays really well off of the other players. He does a good job of spacing the floor. Shayne (Whittington) seems to find him very well when the ball goes inside. Jared does a great job with shot prep. He gets his feet set and he has a quick trigger. It helps that he’s about 5-foot-3 (laughing) and he’s built low to the ground so he can catch the ball quickly and get it off.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now, especially offensively. It’s been huge for us because we do need production off the bench. We’ve been looking for it. We feel like we’ve got a shot of getting it when we go to the bench when it comes to guards.”

The 6-11 Whittington draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses. He said having Klein establish himself as a consistent shooter makes his job easier.

“I think he’s been playing really well,” Whittington said. “He’s been one of the top contributors on the team. If you think back to David Brown starting conference play last season, he’s filling that role very well. I’m extremely proud of Jared and what he’s doing coming off the bench. It helps our bench stats out a lot.”